Optical gauge

ABSTRACT

An optical gauge for use in measuring the setting of grooved rolls of a rolling mill receives a light beam through a space between the rolls from a light source located on the other side of the rolls and conducts the light through a bent optical path to a ground glass display located in a convenient position for viewing. A manually movable rule mechanism cooperates with a scale on the ground glass to permit measurements of the spacing of the rolls as imaged on the display, and the movable rule mechanism is rotatable with respect to the image to be measured, to enable measurements to be made in various directions without relocating the image from its convenient viewing position.

I United States Patent 1191 [11] 3,834,820

Bock [4 Sept. 10, 1974 1 OPTICAL GAUGE 3,640,109 2/1972 Ashton 72/37 [75] Inventor: Nils Erik Bock, Smedjebacken, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Swede 1,056,194 l/1967 Great Britain 356/171 [73] Assignee: Morgardshammar AB,

Smedjebacken, Sweden Primary Examiner-Ronald L. Wibert [22] Filed, Feb 5 1973 Assistant Examiner-Paul K. Goodwin [21] Appl. No.: 329,837 [57] ABSTRACT An optical gauge for use in measuring the setting of [30] Foreign Applicamn Prlomy Data grooved rolls of a rolling mill receives a light beam Feb. 7, 1972 Sweden 1380/72 through a Space between the rolls f a light Source located on the other side of the rolls and conducts the [52] US. Cl 356/164, 356/156, 356/171, light through a bent optical path to a ground glass 72/37 72/428 play located in a convenient position for viewing. A [51] IIPLC]. Gil-1b 9/08 manually movable rule mechanism cooperates with a [58] held of Search 356/156 72/37 scale on the ground glass to permit measurements of 72/428 the spacing of the rolls as imaged on the display, and the movable rule mechanism is rotatable with respect [56] References cued to the image to be measured, to enable measurements UNITED STATES PATENTS to be made in various directions without relocating the 2,444,639 7/1948 Elder 72/37 x image from its convenient viewing position. 2,491,667 12/1949 Kent 356/164 X 3,473,227 10/ 1 969 Frankli 11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures OPTICAL GAUGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of this invention is optical instrumentation for facilitating the adjustment of certain mechanical components of rolling mills. Rolling mills employ pairs of rolls through which the stock passes for rolling the stock into various cross sections. The two rolls of a roll pair rotate in opposite directions and have annular grooves, so that the stock can be pressed into the shape of the grooves. Ordinarily the rolls do not touch each other, even at their ungrooved portions, being properly adjusted to have a small gap between them. The upper roll must be properly adjusted in an axial direction also, with respect to the lower roll, so that a groove of the upper roll is directly over a groove of the lower roll with which it cooperates to roll the stock.

Rolling mills are commonly equipped with a roller guide whose function is to guide the stock into the grooves of the main pair of rolls. The roller guide also holds the stock in a correct angular position so that it does not tilt when it enters the grooves of the main rolls, which would result in a defective product..The roller guide is mounted on the rolling mill as closely as possible to the main rolls, and ordinarily has a funnelshaped opening at one end for receiving the stock. The roller guide also has two small guide rollers at its output end, spaced apart horizontally and very close to the main rolls, and rotatable on spaced vertical axes. The

guide rollers, which are shaped like capstans, press upon the sides of the stock to prevent stock rotation and to guide the stock accurately into the main rolls. The two guide rollers of a roller guide must be spaced correctly relative to one another in accordance with the horizontal dimension of the stock which is to be guided. The rollers must also be correctly positioned both laterally and vertically, to guide the horizontally moving stock.

In the prior art the main rolls of the rolling mill and the guide rollers of the roller guide have been adjusted by placing a light source on one side of the main rolls and/or guide rollers, and providing an optical instrument on the other side for measuring the silhouette of the main roll gap or of the space between the guide rollers. Measurements of the roll pair and guide rollers are made when no stock is in the rolling mill.

The optical instrument consists of a first optical tube receiving the beam, and a mirror reflecting the roll or roller silhouette through a second optical tube to a ground glass plate, where an image of the silhouette is formed. The ground glass plate has a graduated scale permanently marked on it. An adjustable measuring unit is located close to the graduated ground glass plate. The measuring unit has two rules which are opposably movable across the ground glass plate and which can be adjusted to coincide with points on the silhouette, so that measurements can be made of the distance between those points by reading the spacing between the two rules on the scale graduations of the ground glass plate.

In the prior art, the two adjustable rules could be moved back and forth in only one direction, so that measurements could be made in only one direction, for example, a horizontal direction. If measurements were to be made in a different direction, for example, a vertical direction, it was necessary either to turn the entire instrument including the mirror and the second optical tube, or to remount the instrument on the rolling mill so that the rules were disposed in a different direction on the silhouette, and were therefore movable in a different direction than before. At certain grooves of the main roll pair, however, it was not possible to turn or mount the optical instrument sideways in this way because the bend at the mirrors location in the optical path caused the viewing end of the instrument to interfere with side frames of the rolling mill. Moreover, even where it was possible to mount the instrument sideways, it was then in a very awkward viewing position, which defeated the purpose of the bend in the optical path, which was to bring the display to a place where the operator could conveniently look at it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the problem of making measurements of settings of the roll pair and the roller guide in two or more directions at a single convenient viewing station and without remounting the instrument. In the present invention, only the measuring portion of the optical gauge is rotatable; it rotates about the output portion of the optical path between the viewing station and the mirror. The viewing station always stays in the same convenient place. Thus, because the measuring unit is rotatable about the axis of the portion of the optical path after the light passes the bend in the optical path, the rule rotation can be accomplished without changing the position from which the display is viewed.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an optical gauge for use in measuring the setting of main roll pairs or guide rollers, and having a movable rule superimposed on an image of the rolls or rollers and superimposed also upon a graduatedscale, with the rule being rotatable so as to enable measurements of the image in different directions.

Another object is to provide an optical gauge which has an optical path enclosed by an optical tube which is bent at a place between its input and output ends and in which a light beam is redirected at the bend to carry the image to a more convenient and stationary place for viewing, and which nevertheless permits measurements in opposite directions by means of movable rules.

A further object is to provide an optical gauge which includes two rules that are opposably movable back and forth simultaneously in opposite directions for making measurements, and which are both rotatable for measuring an image in different directions.

Still another object is to provide an optical gauge displaying at least a partial outline of the periphery of both (a) a pair of grooved forming rolls and (b) a pair of guide rollers and which facilitates measurements of the displays by rotating a movable measuring rule.

A still further object is to provide an optical gauge wherein the movable rule of the foregoing objects is supported in an optical housing which is rotatable and which has a position indicator for indicating its rotational setting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ing description taken in conjunction with the aceompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is an axial cross sectional view of a rolling mill illustrating a lamp and the optical gauge of the present invention mounted in place for making measurements of the rolls of the mill;

FIG. 2 is a view, partially in section, of an optical housing portion of the optical gauge of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an elevational view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 and showing a scale and a rule mechanism for making measurements.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A rolling mill shown in FIG. 1 has a pair of main rolls mounted one above the other in close proximity and rotationally powered for rolling rod, wire, bar stock, or other elongated longitudinally traveling material. The stock to be rolled by the rolls 10 is guided into a proper position between the rolls 10 by a roller guide 12. The roller guide 12 includes a pair of guide rollers 14 supported on vertical axles in a position close to the main roll 10 for guiding the stock. One of the guide rollers 14 is blocked from view in FIG. 1 by the other guide roller 14.

The stock to be rolled enters the roller guide 12 from the right side of FIG. 1 and passes through the roller guide 12 and then between the rolls l0, exiting from the rolling mill at the left side of FIG. 1. The stock is not shown in FIG. 1 because the rolling mill is shown instead with its optical gauging equipment mounted in place for measuring the locations of the rolls 10 and guide rollers 14.

The optical gauging equipment includes a light source 16 mounted to the rolling mill by means of a magnetic clamp 18 so as to shine a beam of light 20 between the rolls l0 and through the capstan-shaped rollers 14 of the roller guide 12. The component of the optical gauging equipment with which this invention is mainly concerned is an optical gauge, generally designated as 22, mounted at a junction 24 to the stockinput end of the roller guide assembly 12.

The optical gauge 22 includes a horizontal first optical tube 26 which conducts the light beam 20 to an inclined mirror 28, which reflects the light diagonally upward through a second optical tube 30. The optical tubes 26 and 30 exclude ambient light from the gauge. At the upper end of the second optical tube 30 is rotatably mounted an optical housing 32 which encloses an adjustable measuring unit to be described in more detail hereinafter. A diagonally cut light shade 34 is provided at the top of the optical housing 32, through which the operator can peer into the optical housing 32 while making measurements.

The manner in which the optical housing 32 is rotationally mounted on the second optical tube 30 is shown in FIG. 2. The optical housing 32 has a sleeve portion 36 which slidably fits inside the upper end of the tube 30 in order that the optical housing 32 can be rotated about the principal axis of the tube 30.

The tube 30 has, near its upper end, a slot 38 extend ing about 90 around the tube 30, and into which a protruding pin 40 extends. The pin 40 is fixedly mounted on the outside of the sleeve portion 36, and by engaging the slot 38, serves as a retainer to prevent the optical housing 32 from being withdrawn from the tube 30, and as a rotation limiting stop. The retaining pin 40 is provided with an indicating mark 42 which points to one side of the slot 38, and the slot 38 is marked in degrees with numerals and lines by which the rotational setting of the rotatable optical housing 32 with respect to the fixed tube 30 can be indicated.

The optical housing 32 has an enlarged portion which is square in cross section and into which is fitted a round ground glass plate 44 upon which a silhouette of the spacing between rolls and rollers can be displayed. The ground glass 44 is a flat circular disc which is rough on one side and smooth on the other, and which, in addition, is marked with a pattern as can be seen in FIG. 3. The pattern includes a pair of orthogonal graduated scales 46, 48 which intersect at the principal axis of the optical system. Additional lines 50 through that center and displaced 45 degrees from the graduated scales 46, 48 can be provided if desired.

Extending across the face of the ground glass 44 are two parallel rules 52,54 which are movable toward and away from each other by means of a mechanism controlled by an external hand knob 56. The knob 56 is calibrated on its periphery with a scale of equally spaced numerals which cooperate with a pointer 58 on the optical housing 32 to indicate numerically the position of the knob 56.

The knob 56 is affixed to a screw 60 which has a lefthand thread on a half of its length near the knob 56, and a right-hand thread cut into the other half of its length. The left-hand thread engages a similarly threaded nut 62 to which one end of the rule 52 is fastened; similarly, the right hand-threaded portion of the screw 60 engages a second nut 64 which is connected to the other rule 54. The second end of each of the rules 52,54 fits into a channel, not shown, at the righthand side of the optical housing 32, FIG. 3. Manual rotation of the knob 56 turns the screw 60 and drives the rules 52 and 54 toward and away from each other, one end of each rule being controlled by its nut 62 or 64, and the other end sliding in the channel.

Backlash of the rule 52 is eliminated by spring loading it with a spring 66. One end of the spring 66 is fastened to a screw 68 and the other end is attached to a dial cord 70, which passes over two pulleys 72, 74 and fastens at a point 76 on the rule 52. Backlash is eliminated from the other rule 54 by an identical spring and cord mechanism.

The beam of light 20 from the light source 16 passes between the rolls 10 and between the guide rollers 14, then through the first optical tube 26 to the mirror 28, where it is reflected. After reflection the beam proceeds axially upward through the second optical tube 30 and falls upon the roughened surface of the ground glass plate 44, where it produces a silhouette of the spacing between the rolls 10 and of the spacing between the guide rollers 14. The silhouette is a clear optical image if either the light source 16 produces a highly collimated beam of light 20 or, alternatively, if the light source 16 is substantially a point source and the optical instrument 22 is equipped with a concave mirror 28 for focusing the beam or with an auxiliary lens for focusing the beam to an image plane at the ground glass disk 44.

To operate the instrument, the operator rotates the hand knob 56 until an edge of one or more of the rules 52,54 is located at a point or points of the silhouette image in which the operator is interested. For example, the operator may wish to measure the distance from an ungrooved portion of the upper main roll to an ungrooved portion of the lower main, roll, that is, the

clear spacing between the main rolls. If the images on the ground glass plate 44 of the upper and lower main rolls are symmetrically spaced about the horizontal line 46, then the operator can move the rules 52, 54 until their inside edges touch the roll images, and read the spacing between the rolls on the graduated scale 48 at the places where the inside edges of the rules 52, 54 intersect the scale 58. If, then, the operator wishes to measure the horizontal space between the guide rollers 14 as they appear in the silhouette image, he can rotate the optical housing 32 on the second optical tube 30, through 90 to place the rules 52, 54 in a vertical position, without of course, rotating the silhouette image that appears on the ground glass 44. He may then proceed to measure the desired horizontal distance in the same manner as above.

After completion of the measurement and adjustment of the rolls and/or guide rollers, the lamp 16 and the optical gauge 22 are removed from the rolling mill and the rolling of stock may be started.

Although the invention has been described in terms of one preferred embodiment, it is clear that numerous variations are possible, employing the same inventive concept; they are also intended to be within the scope of the patent.

What is claimed is:

1. An optical gauge for use in measuring the setting of at least one pair of rotatable members to determine the need for adjustment thereof so that the rotatable members may be accurately set to a predetermined setting, said optical gauge comprising,

means for producing a display of at least a partial outline of the periphery of the pair of rotatable members,

means for measuring a dimension of a part of said partial outline including a. a scale associated with said display, and

b. rule means including at least one rule that is movable, while remaining parallel to its initial position, back and forth in a first direction along said scale and that extends across a portion of said display so as to lie on a portion of said outline and said scale, and

means for supporting at least said rule means for rotation of at least 90 while the location of said partial outline of said display does not move either rotationally or translationally so that said rule means may move back and forth in a direction different from said first direction.

2. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means for producing a display comprises light means located to direct light between the rotatable member light transmission means extending along an optical path including a first path segment for receiving light from between the rotatable members and a second path segment at which said display is established, said transmission means being optically bent intermediate said first and second segments, and wherein said transmission means further comprises light redirecting means for accepting light energy from the first segment and redirecting it to pass along said second segment.

3. An optical gauge as defined in claim 2 and wherein said light redirecting means comprises a mirror.

4. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means for measuring includes two of said rules opposably movable back and forth simultaneously in opposite directions.

5. An optical gauge as defined in claim I and wherein said means for producing a display comprises a translucent plate member receiving light in the form of said partial outline on one of its sides for transmission therethrough and for viewing on its other side.

6. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means for producing a display comprises means for producing a display of at least a partial outline of the periphery of both (a) a pair of grooved forming rolls and (b) a pair of guide rollers.

7. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means for producing a display includes optical conduit means for conducting light defining said partial outline and display plane means for receiving said light and establishing an image of said outline, and wherein said rule means further comprises a rule transport mechanism for moving the rule back and forth, and wherein said means for supporting at least said rule comprises an optical housing supporting at least said rule and said transport mechanism, said optical housing being rotatably mounted on said optical conduit means for effecting said rotation of at least 8. An optical gauge as defined in claim 7 and wherein said display plane means comprises a ground glass plate, and said optical housing also supports said plate.

9. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said rule means further comprises a rule transport mechanism for moving the rule back and forth while remaining parallel, said mechanism including rule guides and a manually operable adjustment member drivably coupled with said rule for enabling an operator to move the rule.

10. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means for supporting said rule for rotation comprises means including scale marks and a position indicator movable with respect to said marks for indicating the rotational setting of said rule.

I 1. An optical gauge for use in measuring the setting of a pair of rotatable members to determine the need for adjustment thereof so that the rotatable members may be accurately set to a predetermined setting comprising: a light source directed to shine light through a space between said rotatable members to establish a beam of light defining a silhouette of said space; an optical tube receiving the light that shines therebetween, for excluding extraneous light emanating from other sources and for defining a segment of an optical path for conducting the received light to an elbow in the optical path; a mirror supported at said elbow and angularly disposed with respect to the direction of the received light to redirect the light along a second segment of the optical path; a second optical tube defining the second segment of path; an optical housing supported at the light output end of said second tube and rotatable about an axis parallel to the second tube; the rotational position of said housing being visually indicated on an angular scale; means for producing an image of said silhouette at a plane in said optical tube, said plane being spaced from said mirror along said second segment of the optical path and transverse to the light beam in said optical housing; a ground glass plate located at said plane and receiving the light on one of its sides for making the silhouette visible from its other side; a translucent plate proximate said glass plate and configured to display a graduated lineal scale juxtaposed on said silhouette; a parallel pair of straighthouette and said scale; whereby, upon rotation of said optical housing, said rule members and said scale are turned with respect to said silhouette to enable meas urement of said silhouette in a different direction without relocating the silhouette vertically, horizontally, or rotationally. 

1. An optical gauge for use in measuring the setting of at least one pair of rotatable members to determine the need for adjustment thereof so that the rotatable members may be accurately set to a predetermined setting, said optical gauge comprising, means for producing a display of at least a partial outline of the periphery of the pair of rotatable members, means for measuring a dimension of a part of said partial outline including a. a scale associated with said display, and b. rule means including at least one rule that is movable, while remaining parallel to its initial position, back and forth in a first direction along said scale and that extends across a portion of said display so as to lie on a portion of said outline and said scale, and means for supporting at least said rule means for rotation of at least 90* while the location of said partial outline of said display does not move either rotationally or translationally so that said rule means may move back and forth in a direction different from said first direction.
 2. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means for producing a display comprises light means located to direct light between the rotatable member light transmission means extending along an optical path including a first path segment for receiving light from between the rotatable members and a second path segment at which said display is established, said transmission means being optically bent intermediate said first and second segments, and wherein said transmission means further comprises light redirecting means for accepting light energy from the first segment and redirecting it to pass along said second segment.
 3. An optical gauge as defined in claim 2 and wherein said light redirecting means comprises a mirror.
 4. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means for measuring includes two of said rules opposably movable back and forth simultaneously in opposite directions.
 5. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means for producing a display comprises a translucent plate member receiving light in the form of said partial outline on one of its sides for transmission therethrough and for viewing on its other side.
 6. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means for producing a display comprises means for producing a display of at least a partial outline of the periphery of both (a) a pair of grooved forming rolls and (b) a pair of guide rollers.
 7. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means for producing a display includes optical conduit means for conducting light defining said partial outline and display plane means for receiving said light and establishing an image of said outline, and wherein said rule means further comprises a rule transport mechanism for moving the rule back and forth, and wherein said means for supporting at least said rule comprises an optical housing supporting at least said rule and said transport mechanism, said optical housing being rotatably mounted on said optical conduit means for effecting said rotation of at least 90*.
 8. An optical gauge as defined in claim 7 and wherein said display plane means comprises a ground glass plate, and said optical housing also supports said plate.
 9. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said rule means further comprises a rule transport mechanism for moving the rule back and forth while remaining parallel, said mechanism including rule guides and a manually operable adjustment member drivably coupled with said rule for enabling an operator to move the rule.
 10. An optical gauge as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means for supporting said rule for rotation comprises means including scale marks and a position indicator movable with respect to said marks for indicating the rotational setting of said rule.
 11. An optical gauge foR use in measuring the setting of a pair of rotatable members to determine the need for adjustment thereof so that the rotatable members may be accurately set to a predetermined setting comprising: a light source directed to shine light through a space between said rotatable members to establish a beam of light defining a silhouette of said space; an optical tube receiving the light that shines therebetween, for excluding extraneous light emanating from other sources and for defining a segment of an optical path for conducting the received light to an elbow in the optical path; a mirror supported at said elbow and angularly disposed with respect to the direction of the received light to redirect the light along a second segment of the optical path; a second optical tube defining the second segment of path; an optical housing supported at the light output end of said second tube and rotatable about an axis parallel to the second tube; the rotational position of said housing being visually indicated on an angular scale; means for producing an image of said silhouette at a plane in said optical tube, said plane being spaced from said mirror along said second segment of the optical path and transverse to the light beam in said optical housing; a ground glass plate located at said plane and receiving the light on one of its sides for making the silhouette visible from its other side; a translucent plate proximate said glass plate and configured to display a graduated lineal scale juxtaposed on said silhouette; a parallel pair of straight-edged rule members proximate said glass plate and extending across a portion of said silhouette and a portion of said graduated scale, said rule members being mounted for transverse movement perpendicular to their straight edge; and a manually operable mechanism coupled with said rule members for simultaneously moving them in opposite directions toward and away from each other to traverse portions of said silhouette and said scale; whereby, upon rotation of said optical housing, said rule members and said scale are turned with respect to said silhouette to enable measurement of said silhouette in a different direction without relocating the silhouette vertically, horizontally, or rotationally. 